How can we save on collective insurance?

To help its members save money, the FSSS-CSN is proposing ways to reduce the cost of our group insurance.

Our group insurance is expensive and mainly for 2 reasons that have to do with the government’s disengagement from us. First, the insurance of health and social services personnel is expensive because the employer does not contribute enough to the insurance and because the government insists on not setting up 100% public drug insurance.

And besides, the government has been pressing us like lemons for years. As a result, many of us are falling into work stoppages or need more professional services. And so we are the ones paying the bill for the indecent austerity of governments!

To deal with this, the FSSS-CSN is putting forward several things to lower the bill.

Leverage the flexibility of our plan to save

Our plan offers the best coverage at the most competitive price. It is also very flexible, which is an important way to save money.

Our plan offers 3 health insurance options: Health I, II and III. Choosing the right level of protection is a good way to save money.

To help you, we invite you to consult this premium calculation tool that will allow you to compare the different options of the plan.

And unlike other union plans, our plan allows you to change coverage without having to provide proof of good health. This means, for example, that you can choose the Health I option if you do not currently have significant problems and change to an ongoing increase in coverage, i.e. each pay period.

In addition, it is possible to adjust your choice of group insurance for your dependents. If you have family protection, you can therefore take out higher coverage for yourself and lower coverage for your children, for example.

Gathering for 100% public drug insurance
An excellent way to save collectively on our insurance would be to have fully public drug insurance. With this plan, Quebec would save $1 to $3 billion annually. This would save the government money, but also us because our drugs would be cheaper!

That is why the CSN has launched a campaign to convince the government to take action on this issue.

Together to control costs
There are also several ways to save money by changing some of our individual habits. This can have a real impact on our group insurance rates.

Let’s not hesitate to shop!
As we have seen, the cost of a drug can vary greatly from one pharmacy to another. The same applies to health insurance and dental care and services.

We do not hesitate to compare prices when it comes to clothing or food. Nor should we hesitate to do so when it comes to our health care.

When shopping for medications, it is important to do so for your basket of medications. The pharmacist must follow your entire file. The last thing to do is to buy five drugs from five different pharmacies.

Let’s buy in larger quantities
Larger purchases are generally less expensive for drugs. Every time we buy drugs, the pharmacist charges us a fee. By purchasing for 90 days instead of 30, the fees should be reduced and thus save money.

To avoid waste when starting a new treatment, ideally you should limit the amount of drugs you buy at a time. Why? Why? Because your doctor can change the dosage and/or change it to another one.

Let’s choose the credits!
Generic drugs are a low-cost copy of a brand-name drug whose patent has expired. They meet exactly the same standards of quality and purity set by Health Canada. The only difference is the cost. A generic drug can cost up to 75% less than its brand name equivalent.

Let’s be careful with what’s new!
It is well known that pharmaceutical companies put a lot of energy and investment into introducing new, apparently more effective drugs.

Let’s ask ourselves the following question: do we have problems with the drug we are taking? If not, why agree to pay more to achieve the same result? Let’s not hesitate to discuss this with our doctor.